Second Chances

G'day, yeah I'm back.

This was supposed to be ready as part of the Aussie lit day back in November but as usual life got in the way. I'm not sure that romance is exactly right as the category but it's the closest fit I could find. I've split the story in three bite sized parts and they were all submitted together. If you want to wait and read it all in one go you shouldn't have to wait too long.

Thanks to Ausfet for her encouragement and help. Also Enchalada for editing.

As always I enjoy reading your comments so if you feel inclined let me know what you think.

Cheers

Charlie.

*****

Chapter 1

Peta edged the side by side up to the peak of the high hill. She was supposed to be up there to check the water level in the tank but really she just needed to get away for a while. The boys were doing their homework and her mother was cooking dinner. The heat of the sun had dissipated as it was almost kissing the horizon. A gentle breeze ruffled her hair flinging loose strands across her face.

She took a moment to adjust her hat, tucking the stray locks behind her ears. Looking back down towards the homestead she surveyed the farm, her farm. To her left a mob of lambs were slowly drifting across a field of lucerne, heads down, gorging themselves on the fresh, green shoots. Further down the hill some steers played on a dam bank. In the distance on her neighbour's place, a windrower cruised back and forth cutting the ripening canola and leaving it in neat lines to dry for harvest.

A smile caressed her lips but it soon faded as her eyes were drawn to the farm shed a short distance from the house below. Close by a dead box tree stood forlorn, its bare branches like fingers of a bony hand reaching for the sky. Tears filled her eyes and her breath caught in her throat as the memories of eighteen months ago returned.

It had been like any other day. Her husband had left the house after lunch to work on the air-seeder in preparation for planting winter crops. She had picked the boys up off the school bus then come home to make dinner. With the boys driving her crazy she'd suggested they go and tell their father dinner wasn't far away. The eldest, Murray, exploded through the back door calling for his mother to come quick. Peta, having seen the terror in his eyes rushed after him as he spun around and raced back towards the shed.

When they'd rounded the corner of the shed she'd seen her youngest boy, Angus, staring up at one of the folded wings of the air-seeder. He was calling out for his daddy to come down. Following his gaze Peta saw her husband's limp body dangling with some hose around his neck.

Screaming Peta had covered the short distance to her boy then clambered up frame with an agility and strength she didn't know she had. She tried to lift his body to support his weight but he was too heavy. One look at his bloated face told her it was far too late. Still she tried before jumping down, waving the boys back she started the tractor and lowered the air-seeder's wings until her husband's body was touching the ground.

Peta couldn't remember getting out of the tractor, nor where she found the knife but she cut the hose off the frame before dragged her man's body out. Unwinding it from around his neck she felt for a pulse but her partner was cold and lifeless. The rest of that evening was a blur. She must have called 000. The police and ambulance arrived but the ambulance didn't stay long. They don't transport dead bodies.

The flood of tears became a trickle. Peta wiped her eyes with her sleeve before starting the ATV up and clicking it into reverse. A reflection from the dying sun caught her attention on the other side of the hill. A vehicle, a dual cab ute by the look of it, was parked at the back the old Mason house, behind it a small caravan. 'New owner,' she thought.

The old homestead had been for sale on and off for years. A monument to a by-gone era of the squatter's, who leased vast tracks of the country before it was opened up to freehold title and closer settlement. It had been built in the late 1800s to dominate the main road into town that wound along with the river. A new bridge was constructed in 1920 which took the road over to the high side of the river. Much like the squatter, the house was by-passed by progress. Now it stood more as a tombstone for those seduced into pouring their hard earned cash reserves by its sprawling old worldly charm.

Peta turned around carefully then pointed the side by side towards home. The built up emotion had been purged for another week, it was time to get back to the grind.

"There's one born every minute," she mumbled thinking of the newcomer to the district.

But deep inside it gave her hope. Maybe she wasn't the only ardent dreamer fighting the odds.

It was quite dark by the time she made it back to her house. Peta parked the side by side in the shed and was just closing the doors when she heard a large motor roaring up her driveway. She turned around just as the lights from the vehicle swung around the side of the house blinding her. Holding up her hand to shield her eyes she walked towards the house. She knew who it was and had been dreading his visit.

"You're out late tonight Pete," a gruff voice called from behind the bright lights.

He hadn't bothered to turn them off even though he'd killed the motor. Peta now recognized it as part of his not-so-subtle intimidation.

"Yeah, just checking the tank before I turned the pump off." Peta replied moving to the side so she was no longer in the full glare of the spotlights.

She could see him now, standing on the side step of his massive F250 pick-up. It made his already large frame resemble that of a giant. Peta cut back into the glare of the lights and made a bee-line for the veranda steps leading to the house. She hated the way he towered over her. On the top step she could look him in the eye.

As she got to the front yard Tony killed the lights so Peta was robbed of her night vision. She negotiated the first garden bed but then tripped on the hose. Sprawling forward she went down hard barking her knee on the edge of the stone pathway.

"Fucckk," she cursed as the pain shot up her leg.

Then his hands were on her, helping her to her feet and copping a good feel as he did. Peta felt a wave of nausea as well as his breath near her ear as he spoke.

"Are you okay?" Tony said as he steadied her with his hands on her ribs, his fingertips resting on the swell of her breasts.

"Yeah, yeah," Peta replied pushing his hands away and turning to face him. "What do you want Tony?"

Her tone was brusque verging on rude but if her visitor noticed he ignored it.

"Have you signed that lease agreement yet?"

"It's not a lease agreement Tony, it's me selling you the farm."

"It's a three year lease with the option to buy. I'm just covering myself. If I spend the money on fertilizer, sprays and lime I want to make sure I get the full value of my investment."

Peta so wanted to tell him to fuck off. The problem was she was relying on him to harvest her crops.

"I just need to think about it. It's a big decision."

"I can't wait much longer Peta, I've got to organize the finance."

Tony moved closer so his large body towered over her and she was forced to tilt her head right up to look into his face. She could smell his sweat along with the hint of a beer he must have had earlier in the afternoon.

"I want to try and run it myself." Peta said defiantly.

Tony stepped back and stared hard at her for a moment. Then his face broke in to a grin that soon became a belly laugh.

"Jesus, Peta!" He replied when his mirth allowed. "You haven't got a fucking clue! You've got ewes lambing in November, that's two months late. You've never sown a crop in your life."

"I'll get help."

"You won't need help you'll need a miracle." Tony turned on his heel and started back to his truck before he stopped and faced her again. "In three years this place will be a wreck and you'll be broke. Fred will be turning in his grave. I'll buy this farm for half the price."

"Get the fuck off my lawn and never come back you old pervert!"

Peta knew she had lost it. She could feel the heat in her face and the spittle flew from her lips. He'd dared say her late husband's name.The outside light came on and she heard the kitchen door open.

"Is everything alright dear?" She could hear her mother's footsteps coming down the steps.

"Everything's fine Marci," Tony replied for her. "I was just leaving."

He got into his truck and the engine roared to life. Gravel spat up from his wheels as he tore around the circular drive. As he came past the front of the house again he slammed in the brakes and called out.

"Good luck with your harvest."

Then he spun the wheels again and left in a cloud of dust.

"What was that all about?" Peta's mother asked as she put her arm protectively around her daughter's shoulders.

Peta couldn't reply. She just turned her head and buried it against her mother's shoulder to muffle her scream of frustration.

Chapter 2.

The next morning Peta sat bleary eyed at the kitchen table after a sleepless night. Hour after hour her mind churned through her options for the future. Everyone had been advising her to sell or lease the farm for the last six months. After Fred's death the whole community had pitched in. Neighbours and even some farmers from further afield had come to sow and later reap her crops. They had only taken the fuel they'd used as payment. With Fred's life insurance taking care of the debt the farm had been sitting pretty.

This year was the wake up call. Tony had planted and sprayed her crop as the sole contractor. He'd organized the seed and fertilizer. Then she'd got the bill. It was astronomical, she remembered sitting at the kitchen table staring at it for hours. He'd called around the next day and so Peta quizzed him about some of the charges.

"Don't worry," he'd said, "you don't have to pay it all now. We can spread it out. Pay some now and some later."

Relieved she'd paid half and organized to pay the rest when she sold her spring calves. It still bothered her that it was so expensive so she showed it to her late husband's uncle who had recently retired from a farm on the other side of town.

"Holy fuck!" He'd blurted out after scanning the invoice. It was the first time she'd ever heard him swear. "That's extortion. Didn't you talk about what he was going to charge before he started?"

"No," she'd said turning red with embarrassment. "He just told me not to worry he'd take care of everything."

She took it to a lawyer. He suggested they could take it to court however the fact she had already paid half and worked out a payment plan for the rest would make it difficult. In effect she had agreed to the price. In the end Peta had decided against it. She didn't want to throw good money after bad by getting involved in the courts.

"You could always ring and apologize," Peta's mother's voice broke through the fog in her brain.

Peta looked up blankly.

"Tony," Marci continued, "just ring up and say sorry. You know invoke secret women's business, men are always clueless about that stuff."

"No way, no how." Peta said firmly. "The guys a sleazy arsehole who's only thinking about himself."

"But what are you going to do?" Marci asked clearing away her grandsons breakfast plates.

"I'll work something out," Peta got up moved towards the front door and got her wide brimmed hat off the hook beside it. "I'm just going to check on the lambing ewes." She said as she pushed open the screen door and walked outside.

"Take the boys with you," her mother called after her.

Peta smiled at the comment. How many times had she uttered the exact same line to her husband in order to get a few moments of peace.

"Murray? Angus? Come and get your boots and hats on. We are going for a drive." Peta called down the veranda in the direction of the boy's rooms.

There was an audible groan followed by a chorus of complaint.

"Awwwww muuummm, we are almost at the next level,"

"Turn the video game off and get out here. You have to the count of ten or the console goes away for two weeks!" Peta thundered with a smile on her face. "One," she called loudly.

There was a bustle of activity then the two boys appeared, walking sheepishly towards her.

"How long are we going to be?" Murray asked tersely as he pulled on his riding boots.

"As long as I say young man," Peta said as she plonked a hat on his head. "Now go and let Lass out and I'll get the ute."

The two boys ran off in a race to the dog kennels while Peta backed the ute out of the shed. A short time later they were driving slowly around the sheep. The boys stood on the bench seat, the youngest holding on to his mother's shirt as they counted the new born lambs. Peta was about to leave when Lass, their red kelpie sheepdog, moved suddenly from one side of the tray to the other. The boys turned to see what had caught the dogs attention.

"There's a sheep near the tree on the dam bank, Mum," Murray said pointing.

Peta turned the ute in a slow arc and headed to have a look. A lone sheep could mean a few things. She may have just lambed or be thinking about it as they often left the mob at this time. Or she could be sick. Or she could be in trouble.

As they drove towards the animal it was obviously the latter. The sheep held its head low, its back was arched, a sure sign it was in labour and it wasn't going well. The sheep head was towards them but as they got closer it turned.

"Ewwwww," Angus said turning his face away.

Two legs protruded from the sheep's behind.

"You'll have to catch her, Mum," Murray informed her. "There's no head."

Peta felt a tingle, excitement and anticipation mixed with fear and dread. It was a moment of truth. One of many she knew would come if she took on the farm full time. Could she do this? She'd been with Fred lots of times when they'd caught a sheep, watched as he'd manipulated the lamb's position to allow him to pull it out.

"Mum?" Murray was looking at her, waiting for a decision.

"Yep we'll get some other sheep and catch her in the corner." Peta replied trying to sound more confident than she felt.

They separated about forty sheep from the main flock being careful to leave any with lambs and drifted them to the dam. Once they had joined up with the ewe in trouble they herded them to the closest corner. Unfortunately it was adjacent to the road but it was the best option.

'So far, so good,' Peta thought as she parked the ute perpendicular to one of the fences to act as a block.

Getting out Peta retrieved some twine from behind the seat before lifting the boys out onto the tray. Lass was already patrolling the perimeter of the mob keeping them in the corner. Murray protested he could help but she didn't want him getting knocked over.

Peta approached the mob looking for her target. She was easily found but not easily caught. Fred used to just rush in grab the sheep's back leg, flick it onto its back and he'd have it tied up in no time. After four attempts Peta realized it wasn't as easy as it looked. Three times she'd completely missed the grab and the last time she'd got hold of it but the sheep kicked and broke free. A car went past and tooted its horn as a greeting but Peta didn't look up.

With a steely resolve she watched the sheep press between the other animals and when it appeared trapped she charged once again. This time there was no thought of grabbing a leg. Peta threw her whole body at the sheep in a flying rugby style tackle she'd perfected on her brothers in the back yard many years before. Her hands grabbed the wool, her shoulder hit the sheep and they both hit the deck. Peta's momentum took her over the sheep body and she face planted in the dirt on the other side. Before she had the chance to secure the sheep it wriggled from her grasp and was back on its feet.

"Fucckkk!" She screamed in frustration and then she heard the laughter.

Looking up she saw the boys in danger of wetting themselves they were laughing so hard. Well they were until they saw her eyes.

"Shut up!" Peta yelled in their direction which when complimented with a death stare turned the hyena-like boys into mute angels.

Unfortunately it had the same effect on Lass who bounded into the back of the ute and hid behind the boys. The sheep seeing there escape route now open took flight along the other fence.

"Fuck it," she mumbled under her breath as she pushed herself to her feet and looked around for her hat. Then she heard the whistle.

Not a wolf whistle but one sharp note followed by a strange voice calling "go back!"

Whirling around Peta saw a black and tan kelpie leap the boundary fence from the road and wheel the escaping animals before starting to bring them back to the corner. Lass seeing a strange dog bounded out of the ute again the hair in the back of her neck standing straight up. Another whistle followed by a command of "steady" and the strangers dog backed off letting the sheep slow to a walk.

Peta's attention was drawn to the owner of the voice. He had just clambered over her fence and was walking with his dog behind the small mob on their way back to the corner. Faded blue jeans, Blundstone work boots, standard cotton drill work shirt. A broad brimmed Akubra hat that may have once been white or fawn but now was streaked darker with sweat and dirt stains. Not tall, not short, stocky, or maybe chunky would be closer to the mark. His shirt bulged a little over his belt. Middle aged, forty something, she guessed. With the sheep in the corner and two dogs keeping them packed tightly he quickly caught the sheep.

"Was there only this one?" He asked.

Peta nodded so he told his dog to "get up" and he bounded back over the fence trotted back to the battered dual cab ute loaded with timber then jumped in the back. Peta did the same to Lass and waited for the other sheep to move away before joining the man. She felt thoroughly humiliated, still a little bit angry and she just wanted this man gone.

"Thanks, I'll take it from here," she said with the irritation evident in her tone.

"Just being a good neighbour," the man said as he held out his hand. "Richard, Richard Douglas." Reluctantly Peta shook his hand. "I bought the old Mason place," he added.

Peta suddenly felt better. 'Sucker' she thought but she said, "Peta Watters,"

She took control of the sheep he had on its side resting against his legs and began tying three of its legs together to render it immobile. Curiosity had got the better of her two boys, who had jumped down and were now inspecting the lambs legs poking out of the ewes backside.

"Do you want a hand to lift her?" Richard asked.

"No, I've got the hoist." Peta pointed to the hydraulic crane attached to the tray of her ute. "I'll be right from here." She continued hoping he'd get the hint and leave as she walked back to bring it closer.

He didn't, when she climbed into the drivers seat he was introducing himself to the boys. Peta parked next to the sheep and swung the hoist out and down. Richard attached it then she lifted it onto the tray.

"Where's the head?" Angus asked referring to the lamb.

"He's rump up," Richard said which prompted the next question.

"What's rump up?"

"He's coming backwards, they are his back legs so his head's on the other end."

"How can you tell?" Murray chimed in.

"Look at his hooves. See how they are pointing up? That means it's his back legs, if he was coming forward, the right way, they should point down like he's diving into a pool."

The boys nodded mesmerized by this new knowledge and Peta begrudgingly admitted to herself she would be remembering it as well.